


A Safe Space

by celtic7irish



Series: MCU Kink Bingo Fills 2017 [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Established Relationship, In case you hadn't guessed that already, M/M, The Author Regrets Nothing, Way more fluff than kink, there is sex, winteriron
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-11
Updated: 2018-01-11
Packaged: 2019-03-03 13:47:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13342515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celtic7irish/pseuds/celtic7irish
Summary: Nesting: The act of cuddling and other such public displays of affection in an open area.  Also, the act of settling yourself into a cozy convenient corner of your bedroom and surrounding yourself with all the comforts of your many vices. Also, the act of leaving small stashes of your things in various places in a random and unorganized manner.Or: Bucky has a safe space of his own.  Tony likes to spend time in it.





	A Safe Space

**Author's Note:**

> For the MCU Kink Bingo Square B1: Nesting

When Bruce moved into the Tower, Tony made a space just for him. He had a lab – three labs, actually – and an entire floor to live on.  There was a room for meditation, and another that could be locked down if Bruce transformed.  There were exotic teas from the world over, and a library stacked floor to ceiling with books that covered every genre and subject imaginable.  There were tablets and holo-displays and servers keyed to his unique gamma signature.  It was everything Bruce could have ever wanted, and far more than he’d ever dared to hope for.

 

As the rest of the Avengers trickled in, one or two at a time, Tony did the same for them. Clint had a full-size shooting range; Natasha had a dance studio.  They shared an armory.  Steve had a gym and a track that could be raised or lowered, or have hurdles or pitfalls.  He also had a room filled with things from the forties, and tech that was a bit more old-fashioned and less complicated.  He had a library as well.  Thor’s room was done in as close a proximity to Asgardian décor as Tony could figure out from the vivid descriptions the blonde prince enjoyed regaling them with.

 

Tony’s floor, however, was as Spartan and cold as if nobody lived there at all. The furniture was sleek leather, the technology high-end.  The fridge and bar were always stocked, the bathroom always pristine.  Even the bedroom looked like nobody slept there, though the whole team had seen him go up to the Penthouse to sleep off a four-day engineering binge.

 

Tony’s workshop was the exact opposite, though, covered in half-completed projects and decorated with drawings made by the bots. There was a mini fridge and a comfortable couch.  Tools were scattered about in organized chaos that only Tony and his bots seemed to understand.  Snacks were hidden in drawers and on shelves, and the stools and chairs were designed with comfort in mind.

 

The Avengers rarely had cause to go to the Penthouse, which was why it took them so long to notice the changes. It started shortly after Barnes moved in, warily following Steven into the Tower, ready  to bolt at the first sign of danger.  Tony had taken one look at the soldier’s cybernetic arm and had practically kidnapped the man, spending hours with him in the workshop.

 

Barnes, one he’d realized that Tony had no intention of hurting him or experimenting on him, was content to stay down in Tony’s workshop with him, playing with the bots and pestering Tony about modern technology. It turned out that Barnes was a bit of a science nerd, and Tony was all too happy to answer his incessant questions.

 

Steve was the first one to realize something was going on when Bucky stopped sleeping in the floor that Tony had set aside for him. Questioning Jarvis proved fruitless as the AI adamantly refused to break the privacy protocols set in place by Tony, stating only that Sergeant Barnes was not in danger, nor was he a a danger to any of the Tower’s residents.

 

Steve cornered Bucky a few days later after one of their morning runs, and Bucky cheerfully told him to mind his own damn business. Steve opened his mouth to press the issue, but Bucky ignored him in favor of greeting Tony, who was staggering drunkenly down the hall.

 

“You’re a mess,” Bucky told him, gripping his arm carefully and steering him away from the wall he’d been about to run into. “C’mon, bed.”

 

Tony looked up at the soldier and gave a long, slow blnk, swaying on his feet. “Hm?” he mumbled absently.

 

“Bed,” Bucky repeated in mild exasperation. “Y’know, that monstrosity you’ve got up a coupla floors?”  He was grinning, not bothering to hide his fond amusement at the genius’ apparent confusion.  Steve just watched in mild consternation, knowing that he was missing something, but not sure what.

 

Tony blinked. “Oh, yes,” he agreed.  “It’s a very nice bed.”  He tipped his head to the side and gave Bucky a smile that Steve wall all too familiar with.  “Your Nest is better, though,” he added.  Steve could hear the capitalization.

 

“Buck-“ he started, but the other man glared at him so darkly that he snapped his mouth closed abruptly.

 

The soldier turned back to Tony once he was satisfied that Steve wasn’t going to interrupt, his expression softening as he gave the genius a pleased smile. “You really think so?” he asked.

 

“Yep,” Tony nodded, leaning tiredly against Bucky. “’S comfortable.”

 

“Then that’s where we’ll go,” Bucky told him. Steve was left to stare after them in stunned surprise as the two men made their way down the hall and to the lift.

 

“Hey, Buck?” he called, just before the two men entered the elevator. Barnes looked back at him curiously, and Steve sighed.  “Try to get him to sleep more than two hours, yeah?” he asked, as close as he could manage to giving them his blessing.

 

Bucky’s grin was blinding. “Yeah,” he agreed, just before the doors to the lift closed on them, whisking them away.

 

Away from the prying eyes of Captain America, Tony straightened up with an exaggerated yawn, stretching enticingly so that the hem of his tank top lifted, revealing a strip of tanned skin by his waist. He grinned wickedly at Bucky, who was smirking back at him.  “Think that did it?” he asked.

 

Bucky shrugged. “He’s been side-eyein’ me for days now,” he grouched.  “I figured it was ‘bout time we helped him out a bit.  I hate seein’ him worry like that, like he’s scared I’ll run off if he asks me somethin’.”

 

Tony leaned into him more firmly. “He’ll be fine,” he reassured him.  “Besides,” he pointed out slyly, “I’m pretty sure we just smacked him over the head with a sledgehammer.”  Bucky’s metal arm slid easily around his shoulder, a familiar weight by now.  “So now what?” Tony purred seductively.

 

Bucky nuzzled against him, pressing lips to the top of Tony’s head. “Well, Stevie did suggest that I try to get you sleep for ‘more than two hours’,” he suggested hopefully.

 

Tony snorted. “Gotta wear me out before that,” he shot back.

 

Barnes moved suddenly, before Tony could react to the change in position, gripping him at the hips and shoving him back against the wall of the lift, one firm thigh sliding between Tony’s legs. “Oh, I plan to,” he growled teasingly, a hint of challenge in his gaze.

 

Tony grinned. “Oh, excellent,” he sighed happily.  He wrapped his arms around Bucky’s neck, not the least bit surprised when the soldier got a double-handful of his ass and lifted him clear off the floor as soon as the doors opened, carrying him out of the lift and through the Penthouse to the bedroom.  And to Bucky’s large, comfortable nest.

 

Barnes had been so skittish when he’d first arrived, and Tony had set Jarvis to monitoring him – discretely, of course. Mostly so he’d know if he needed to run interference with Steve, since the blonde idiot was far too reckless with his own safety.  Besides booby-trapping his quarters, Barnes had taken to sleeping under the bed.  At least it was clean, and Barnes had only busted up on cleaner bot before he’d realized that they were harmless.  Still, Tony had fixed the bot and reprogrammed it to only attend to Barnes’ rooms when he was in the gym or the shower or something.  There had been on further incidents.

 

Gradually, items had started to go missing from around the Tower. Mostly Steve’s stuff, of course, but also some of Tony’s, surprisingly.  It had taken him a while to get up the nerve to confront Barnes about his thieving habits, but the soldier had sheepishly admitted that with his enhanced senses, he needed to surround himself with comfortable, familiar things.  It was something that Hydra hadn’t allowed, but now that he could indulge without fear of punishment, he couldn’t seem to stop.  Soft blankets that scented of Steve.  Fluffy towels and plush pillows.  Old, worn flannels.  They all made their way to Bucky’s room.

 

Tony had kind of understood why he’d taken Steve’s stuff – the guy had been his best friend for forever, and even know, Steve only wanted to help Barnes. But that still didn’t explain why some of his own stuff had gone missing.  Until Barnes had pointed out that the whole Tower belonged to him, that the Tower was, in its own way, a fortress to protect those inside of it.  And so Barnes had quickly come to associate Tony with protection and safety.  Especially after spending so much time in the lab, and seeing the weapons and armor he made for the team, to aid and protect them in battle.

 

Even so, he’d continued to sleep under the bed, despite Steve’s best efforts to the contrary. Even Sam had tried speaking to the soldier, but it hadn’t done any good.  Not until Tony had asked Barnes what he needed in order to feel safe.  And Barnes, perhaps surprised that somebody was actually asking him what he needed rather than trying to tell him, had admitted that he needed to wake up _not alone_.  It couldn’t be Steve, though, because despite Barnes fighting his conditioning, Steve was still an unfinished mission, and Barnes wasn’t willing to risk waking up as the Winter Soldier and actually killing the other man.

 

Tony had considered that for all of thirty seconds before suggesting that Barnes come stay in the Penthouse. Jarvis watched over Tony, and the armor was never far away, should it be needed.  It had taken about a week of coaxing, but Barnes had eventually agreed, and had brought his nest up to Tony’s bedroom.  It was actually a mutually beneficial arrangement, because knowing that Bucky needed somebody to be there when he woke up actually led to Tony going up to bed more often than not.  Sometimes he even managed a couple hours of sleep while he was there.

 

And then, one night, Tony had suffered a nightmare. He couldn’t even remember what it had been about now; Afghanistan or space or having his heart ripped out or drowning.  It didn’t really matter.  But he had woken up screaming, and Barnes had grabbed him and brought him to the nest and curled up against him, just holding him until he’d quieted.  Tony had slept undisturbed for a solid six hours, far more than he usually got these days.

 

After that, it had become rather commonplace for the two men to sleep in the nest that Bucky had built. The soldier had even started adding a few items from the other Avengers into the nest.  The first time Tony had found one of Bruce’s slightly large button-ups buried under a pile of soft blankets, he’d laughed.  And then proceeded to kiss Bucky senseless.

 

There had been some painful conversations made in the nest, too, the two men curled up so that they faced away from each other, as Bucky admitted to having killed his parents, as Tony admitted to having known about it for years prior. Tony had spoken haltingly of Howard and Obie and the Ten Rings, and Barnes had spoken of the war and Hydra and cryo. 

 

Today, though, there would be no talking about the hard, painful things that each of them had been through, no confessing of sins or absolution of them. Just love and patience, and skin against skin.

 

Tony was squirming impatiently before his lover had even set him down. “Just…here….lemme,” he growled, helping Bucky shove both their shirts over their heads.  He lifted his hips obligingly so Bucky could tug his sweatpants down and off, then sprawled out on the blankets, watching with avid delight as Bucky efficiently removed his own jeans – by virtue of tearing them with his metal hand, the zipper breaking and a button dropping down into the nest.  Tony palmed it, then burrowed his hand under a bunch of pillows and blankets before releasing it, leaving the button as just another part of the nest, like the various wires and knife sheaths and leather straps that were already there. He preferred the blankets and pillows and clothing, himself, but this was Bucky’s Nest, and if he wanted to have knife sheaths and straps from Steve’s uniform – before Tony had improved it yet again, of course – then that was fine, too.

 

Propped up on a mound of pillows, Tony enjoyed the teasing, tickling sensation of the faux fur against his spine and sides as Bucky dropped to his knees, pinning Tony with one leg on either side of Tony’s thighs, looking down at him with dark, predatory eyes. Tony looked back just as intensely.  “You know, I could get you real fur pillows,” he pointed out reasonably.

 

Bucky grinned. “Naw, I like the fake stuff,” he said, leaning down to drop a kiss on Tony’s upturned lips.  “Nothing got killed for it.”  And there was something darker in that statement, something that they’d probably talk about eventually.  But not today.

 

Tony reached for his lover. “Fine, then,” he mock-groused.  “Keep it.  But I get to choose the next addition.”  And hadn’t that been something of a surprise, discovering that he also enjoyed nesting?  He’d always thought that the terms related only to mothers-to-be, bustling about the home preparing it for a newborn.  But to his knowledge, his mother had never bothered, content to let the servants handle everything.  And this was different, anyhow.  This was creating a safe space and surrounding themselves with family and friends, even when those members weren’t actually present.

 

“Sure,” Bucky agreed. “As long as it isn’t somethin’ stupid.”

 

Tony just laughed, already picturing his fluffiest robe, crimson with a gold trim. It had been something of a joke-gift from Rhodey, but Tony loved the stupid thing and had worn it often when he’d been alone in the Penthouse, after his breakup with Pepper.  There had been something comforting about the soft warmth of it.  Kind of like Bucky’s nest, he supposed.

 

“I guess you’ll just have to wait and find out,” he teased.

 

Bucky huffed in mock-annoyance, but shifted so that his body rested firmly on top of Tony’s, skin to skin. His metal fingers were tracing idle patterns on Tony’s right shoulder, sending tickling shivers down his arm.  “Enough talkin’,” Bucky told him, then suited words to action and kissed him, hard and possessive.

 

Tony moaned happily into the kiss, squirming under Bucky’s bulk, relishing in the pressure and heat radiating off the other man. Barnes was like a furnace, making the nest warm and comfortable.  He let his legs slip a bit further open, drawing Barnes further down on him.  “Lube?” he murmured as Bucky trailed a line of kisses and sharp nips across his chin and down his throat. Bucky latched onto the cord of his throat and started pulling blood to the surface.  His right hand fumbled around the raised, padded edge of the nest before coming up and showing Tony the small bottle of lube.

 

Tony hummed approvingly, his hand tangled in Bucky’s hair, resting on his head while the other man gave him a hickey to rival all hickeys. “Possessive son of a bitch, aren’t you?” he said happily.

 

Barnes answered him by flipping open the cap and somehow managing to get the lube on his fingers without dumping it. “Hm…dexterity,” Tony murmured.

 

Bucky muffled his chuckle against Tony’s throat. “Motivation,” he countered, fingers already teasing at Tony’s hole, calluses catching on the rim and making Tony gasp at the slightly rough sensation.  “Not gonna mess up the nest before I get a chance to mess you up in it,” he leered.

 

Tony arched, pressing back and down into Bucky’s touch, hoping to entice him to go faster. Instead, Bucky pulled away entirely, and Tony let out a low growl, his eyes narrowing at the other man.  Bucky just twisted away, leaning over the edge of the nest – and giving Tony a _very nice_ view of his ass and the muscles in his back and shoulders and thighs – and grabbing something.

 

“Turn over?” he suggested coyly, turning his head to meet Tony’s gaze and smirking when he realized that Tony wasn’t watching his face at all.

 

Tony sighed, aggrieved, but did as he’d been asked, twisting over onto his front and lifting himself up on hands and knees. He generally preferred to be able to see his partners, to make sure they were enjoying themselves, but this way could be fun, too.  Bucky draped himself over Tony’s back, his weight pressing down on him and forcing Tony to use both arms to hold himself up.  Bucky’s cock pressed enticingly against Tony’s ass, and the genius shoved back, trying to get the other man to do s _omething_.

 

Bucky settled something below Tony, who glanced down and laughed at the ugly, yellowish-brown towels. He was sure there was a proper name for the color, but the fact remained that it was ugly, and therefore could be incinerated.  And it would keep them from messing up the nest.  Probably.

 

Bucky shifted again, lube-slicked fingers circling Tony’s hole again, occasionally dipping inside. Tony huffed.  “I don’t have all day,” he pointed out.  “I’ve got a board meeting in the morning, so if you want to get any sleep tonight, you should probably pick up the pace,” he suggested.

 

He got a sharp nip at the dip of his spine for his trouble, but Bucky moved them along, sliding the first finger inside and crooking it before dragging it back out slowly, letting it catch on Tony’s skin on the way out. Tony sighed in pleasure, his head dropping.  He was tempted to reach down and stroke himself, but Bucky’s metal hand resting between his shoulder blades stopped that; the bastard would probably knock him off-balance if he tried it.

 

Bucky’s tongue was tracing random designs on Tony’s skin, teeth nipping occasionally, and Tony squirmed impatiently. “Always so impatient,” Bucky chided, but his tone was amused, and Tony just turned his head to smirk at him.

 

“Or maybe you’re just not that good, soldier,” he challenged. Bucky’s eyes darkened, and the next thrust of his fingers – they were up to three now, when had _that_ happened? – pressed ruthlessly against Tony’s prostate, making him shudder and jerk forward with a grunt, sparks shooting through him as he trembled, his arms nearly collapsing under him.

 

“You sure about that?” Bucky teased him, pressing a gentle kiss to the dip in his spine. His other hand pressed down on Tony’s back, encouraging him to drop to the bedding as Bucky straightened up, pulling his fingers free and slicking himself up before pressing in, as careful as ever.  Tony whined, but didn’t try to push back.  Bucky had explained, very seriously, that he’d hurt so many people over the years as the Winter Soldier that he never wanted to hurt anyone ever again, in any way.  And he was a lot to take in all at once without at least a little bit of pain, so Tony let him set the pace.  To reward him, Bucky fitted his metal hand against Tony’s left hip to support himself, the fingers cool and slick against Tony’s sweat-soaked skin.  

 

Once he was fully seated, Tony panting below him with the urge to just move, Bucky reached around and gripped him firmly, and then started moving, his thrusts pushing Tony forward into his grip and then back again, chasing after the pleasure. The pillows below him had been scattered, and Tony’s cheek was pressed to a soft fleece blanket that smelled of gunpowder and Old Spice – not the modern-day stuff, but the original.  The kind that Tony imagined his grandfather might have worn, if he’d ever known the man.  There was also the fresh scent that accompanied fresh laundry, but it was muted, subtle.  The blanket smelled of Bucky, and Tony turned to press his nose against it, breathing in the scent of the man that was all around him, in and over and holding him secure.

 

Bucky was murmuring words of praise and devotion into his skin, and the words swept through Tony, making him shudder with him. He might have been begging, his words muffled by the blankets, but Bucky knew what he needed.  He always knew.  His grip tightened, and he slid his metal hand down, stroking the cool metal lightly up Tony’s chest and across his nipples before coming to rest lightly on the side of his throat.  There was no threat there, no inherent danger, but Tony could hear the soft shifting of the metal as the tiny plates shifted, calibrating to keep from pinching, and he cried out as he came, feeling Bucky stiffen behind him, giving a few more hard thrusts before coming as well, a cry wrung from his throat even as his orgasm tore through his body.

 

Bucky’s weight settled heavily against Tony, who turned his head enough that he could breathe, but otherwise didn’t move, enjoying the weight and the warmth. “Mmm,” he mumbled in appreciation.  Bucky answered with a grunt, and Tony smiled.

 

After several long moments, and before Tony got too terribly uncomfortable, Bucky pushed himself up with a grunt and staggered in the direction of the bathroom. He came back with a wash cloth and cleaned Tony up, then tossed both the wash cloth and towel across the room, in the general direction of the hamper, before settling back down on his side.  Tony rolled into him, content to let his lover hold him, his face buried in the other man’s throat.

 

Bucky rummaged around for a moment before tugging up yet another blanket and draping it over the two sated men. “Mmm…like cuddling,” he admitted quietly.

 

Tony grinned, burrowing further down in the nest so that he was completely surrounded by comforting scents .

 

“Yeah,” he agreed, already halfway to dozing. “Me, too.”   


**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I had a bit of trouble with this one, because I didn't want to go the route of ABO (that's another square, naturally). I think it still qualifies, but comments and opinions are always welcome and much appreciated!


End file.
